Taipei, June 27 (CNA) Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) said it has pushed back its plan to resume games without fans on Tuesday amid heightened concerns over recent COVID-19 cases in Taiwan with the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus.
"The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) is closely monitoring the development of locally transmitted COVID-19 cases of the Delta variant in southern Taiwan. The CPBL will only resume games when safety can be fully ensured," the league said in a statement Sunday.
The CPBL said the CECC did not oppose its plan to resume its disrupted season, nor to its proposed disease prevention measures, but it felt the timing was not right to resume play.
All five teams in the league have been notified of the decision, said the CPBL, noting its responsibility to ensure that players can compete in a safe environment.
The league began its current season on March 7, but the teams had to began playing in empty stadiums starting on May 12, after the CECC reported locally transmitted infections of COVID-19 with unknown sources a day earlier.
Just days later, on May 15, the government raised the COVID-19 alert to Level 3 in Taipei and New Taipei, the home cities of the Wei Chuan Dragons and the Fubon Guardians, respectively, leading to the league's decision to suspend games from May 18.
The CPBL suspended the 41 remaining games scheduled through mid-June on May 19, when the Level 3 alert was expanded nationwide.
The league said it will stay in close communication with the CECC on the progress in containing the disease before deciding to resume play.
